6 Ways to Get More Instagram Followers for Your Business

A recent bug gave some Instagram accounts as many as 100,000 new followers. While the issue has been resolved, it has left many businesses wondering how they can build such an impressive increase in followers. Check out these six ideas to organically grow your brand’s following:

1. Stick to a Theme

Choosing a theme and sticking to it is one way to make your Instagram account a success. Brainstorm a few ideas by first thinking about what attracts your current customers and what you’d like to achieve next. For example, if you’re a restaurant hoping to get more patrons in the door, feature behind-the-scenes posts of your chefs in action or give sneak peeks of new menu specials.

2. Keep a Posting Schedule

By pushing out new visual content each day, you’ll not only increase your chances of getting noticed, but followers will start to expect your posts as well. According to research conducted by Latergramme, the best times to post for the most engagement are 2 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET. But experiment for yourself to see what works best for your audience.

3. Mix It Up

Stick with your theme, but don’t be boring! Mix up your feed with varying angles, backgrounds and moods. If you’re bored by your own gallery of puppy portraits, chances are your followers are too. If you’re a pet adoption center, get your animals in action by posting videos of them interacting with visitors or playing outside.

4. Motivate With Messages

Remember, Instagram is all about storytelling. You have to include a description to give your picture background. Tying motivational or inspirational messages to posts is an extremely successful posting method, especially if your theme or brand revolves around personal improvement. Check out Nike’s account for some great examples.

5. Stick to a Few, Simple Hashtags

Hashtags are a simple way to connect your post to a larger theme or global project. But be careful of spamming followers with too many common hashtags like #puppies or #food. You can easily lose more followers than you gain depending on how you utilize this tool to boost your posts’ visibility.

6. Follow Others, Like Often

Like what similar accounts or brands are posting. Follow those who inspire you. Look at the “suggested users” list to find more accounts to follow. An easy way to find new followers is to add your Facebook friends’ accounts – these users will almost immediately add you back if you follow them first.

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Katie Gaab is a content marketing specialist for Cision. Previously the senior editor for Help A Reporter Out (HARO), she enjoys connecting audiences to exciting, new content. She's a dancer, avid concert-goer, foreign language nerd and book worm. Find her on Twitter @kathryngaab.